Ecolab Leads Industry Commitment to Food Safety and Public Health in China with Seven-Star Pact

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab invited leading food processing, food service and food retail companies operating in China to commit to the Food Safety & Public Health Seven-Star Pact, an initiative led by Ecolab and China Business News to help ensure proper food safety practices throughout the country. Twenty-five leading food industry companies committed to the pact at the 2011 Food Safety & Public Health Summit Forum in Shanghai.

“As the market leader in cleaning and sanitation solutions for food safety and public health, Ecolab is committed to working with all stakeholders to elevate China’s food safety and public health standards, and strengthen public trust.”

“Food safety and public health are critical to the well-being of our society,” said Sam Hsu, Ecolab senior vice president and general manager of Greater China. “As the market leader in cleaning and sanitation solutions for food safety and public health, Ecolab is committed to working with all stakeholders to elevate China’s food safety and public health standards, and strengthen public trust.”

The Seven-Star Pact encourages companies operating in China to adhere to the food safety practices outlined in the Seven-Star System, a comprehensive assessment system developed by Ecolab and China Business News with guidance from food safety and food science experts in China. The system consists of several key criteria, including efforts to lead public health trends, promote a food safety centric culture, implement a comprehensive organizational structure, provide raw material and inventory quality control, ensure production and transportation process integrity, and provide employee training and discipline, supplier and distributor management, and food safety social responsibility.

The Food Safety & Public Health Summit Forum is one in a series of events organized by Ecolab and China Business News this year to communicate food safety and public health information to the public, promote food industry best practices and help rebuild consumer confidence in China’s food industry.

At the event, Ecolab and China Business News also presented participating companies with the 2011 Outstanding Contributions in Food Safety and Public Health award for their efforts to promote food safety and public health in China. The companies were selected to receive the award after a comprehensive four-month evaluation process, including surveys, interviews and award committee assessments. The award committee was comprised of food safety experts and scholars from leading Chinese research institutions, government officials and representatives from the business and media communities.

With sales of $6 billion and more than 26,000 associates, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.

(ECL-C)